From the President
Supporting ALL Students and Available Wallet-Size Cards
Feb. 17, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
I hope you are enjoying the extra-long weekend. I write to you today to reinforce my message of January 20: We support ALL students at De Anza College.
Once again, I acknowledge that many people — including our students from historically underrepresented groups — may be feeling anxious, given the platform on which the current U.S. president campaigned, the issuance of numerous executive orders, and other actions that the administration has undertaken in the last month. Certainly our undocumented students continue to feel vulnerable.
I want to underscore the protocol outlined on the posters currently displayed collegewide:
If immigration officers come to campus, they are to be referred to my office. I will work with the district and legal counsel to ensure that the rights of our undocumented students remain our priority in responding. While we would be required to obey a legal warrant, we would not assist the officers without — or beyond — the warrant.
In addition, we have now printed wallet-sized cards with the information on the posters (per enclosed PDF attachment), available for our students and college staff, that include QR codes with links to resources for undocumented students. These have been distributed through the mailroom to all divisions, College Life, the Library and other areas. If you or your students would like additional cards, please contact the Office of Communications at communications@deanza.edu.
Thank you for supporting all of our students at De Anza College, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend.
Sincerely,
Omar
Omar Torres, Ed.D.
President, De Anza College